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There has been some discussion lately about the differences between the XC70 and the V70 AWD. *My new V70 AWD was shipped (not sure whether from the plant or from the port) this past Sunday, so I thought this an appropriate time to share what differences I expect to notice. *I&#39;ll try to remember to report back after I have had the V70 AWD for a while to let y&#39;all know if my expectations were on target.

7. *The V70 AWD will not be as good in snow as the XC70, primarily due to different tires. (Please refrain from lecturing me about snow tires; they are tough to implement in a financially sensible way when in a one-year lease.)

8. *The V70 AWD will achieve better fuel economy than the XC70 due to many of the above-stated reasons.

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Chip

Quite apart from stating the obvious there must be something more in it?

Surely there must be a different type of driving thingy underneath not just bigger springs or shocks, the cars looks different as well, I think the hood/bonnet is more raised to give a different body line.

It would be like buying the V70 instead of the V70R because I don&#39;t drive that fast, so I don&#39;t need a racey engine&#33;

What would be very interesting would be to &#39;pose&#39; your AWD beside a XC and photograph them, then apart from the height I think you would see a different car.

I don&#39;t think the XC is a cosmetic AWD (and someone will point out they all share the same platform again) but a &#39;safer&#39; car to drive as you have AWD. The XC on the other hand is for people who want a SUV but don&#39;t want the BIG approach. That was the main reason for me getting it.

Also I think the AWD will have less (if you can say so) off road capabilities than the XC. I have also heard the XC70 has a higher ground clearance than the XC90

It will be very interesting to see whether you feel you are driving a &#39;car&#39; again after the XC

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Given our recent snowfall and the fact that I have been parking my car partly on the area that in other seasons passes for a lawn (need to leave plenty of room for the two vehicles that have the priviledge of parking in our garage to get by), I have finally gained an appreciation for the XC70&#39;s ground clearance.

That said, I received an email today that my V70 AWD is ready to be picked up. &nbsp;I guess it wasn&#39;t on the Atlantic Concert after all. &nbsp;That ship docked in NJ on Tuesday, and there&#39;s no way the car could have gotten here that quickly. &nbsp;Stay tuned for my initial comments on the AWD (which I hope to pick up tomorrow but may not be able to get until Monday).

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Don&#39;t feel insulted, but for me, the XC has a quirky look that I have grown to love. &nbsp; If they didn&#39;t make an XC model, I wouldn&#39;t have considered a V. &nbsp;For that much money, I want a car that really screams, &quot;I am goofy&quot; &nbsp;

And, oh, yeah, I think the Scorpion STR is actually a pretty smooth, quiet tire. &nbsp;I haven&#39;t driven the STs, but after reading lots of posts, it seems like they are the ones that gave Scorpions as a whole a less than good reputation. &nbsp;The service manager at my dealership says that in his opinion, the XC is the nicest riding car in the Volvo line.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (gibbons @ Jan. 29 2004,18:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">For that much money, I want a car that really screams, &quot;I am goofy&quot;[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well, I think you got that then. &nbsp;I like all the Volvo wagons, but I do find a subtle, yet distinct, difference between the V70 and its beefed-up looking cousin, the XC70. &nbsp;Basically, to me, the V70 looks like a really nice European wagon. &nbsp;Sleek, understated, gliding down the highway. &nbsp;The XC70 looks like it is ready to jump the grassy median and take off towards the hills. &nbsp;It just looks like a snow-bank blasting, grocery/family hauler.

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Then I must look really goofy, because when I drive my V70 I still think I&#39;m in my XC70. &nbsp;I took a shortcut between two parking lots on Saturday and found myself tiptoeing. &nbsp;In the XC70 it would have been a no-brainer.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Chipshot @ Jan. 14 2004,10:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...so I thought this an appropriate time to share what differences I expect to notice...
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Well, if you needed an excuse why you chose V70 over XC70, you definitely found a lot of them.

What I think is that these two cars are just in different categories. XC70 is almost a unique car on the market (I can think of only Audi All Road is the only alternative here)

XC70 is really an SUV (roof loading capabilities, big cargo space, exceptional winter/snow performance) but for those who do not want a BIG car approach (with less safety, worse fuel economy, really painful roof loading with all that goodies such as skies, snowboards, inflatable boats, surfing boards, canoes)

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Excuse? &nbsp;No. &nbsp;But I couldn&#39;t find enough reasons to justify spending more than &#036;100/month additional to get an XC70 instead of a V70 AWD. &nbsp;I wholeheartedly agree that both cars have few direct competitors.

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Delivery
Not what most people are used to at dealerships. &nbsp;The entire process took about 15 minutes. &nbsp;Basically, I went to a garage where I handed over the keys and paperwork for my 2003 XC70, signed some paperwork, and then went to a waiting room while my new was retrieved. &nbsp;No &quot;white glove treatment&quot; or detailed orientation, but smooth and painless.

The First Two Miles
I drove back to my office (it was, after all, a work day), a scant two miles away. &nbsp;While the V70 AWD felt much like my XC70, I did note a few differences. &nbsp;The chrome rings around the gauges were an attractive touch. &nbsp;However, I wondered whether they would create reflection problems at night. &nbsp;The exterior rearview mirrors were about half the size of the XC70ís, and the front seat &quot;kangaroo pouches&quot; seemed smaller.

There was no cargo protection net, and the 60/40 rear seatís center head restraint poked a little higher into the inside rear-view mirrorís field of vision than its counterpart on the XC70ís 40/20/40 seat had. &nbsp;I had expected the center console to be similar to the one in the S60, but it was essentially the XC70ís without the passenger handle.

The Next Two Days
I picked up the car on a Friday morning, drove it to my office, drove it home, and then left it sitting almost all weekend. &nbsp;I know, I know. &nbsp;Sacrilege. &nbsp;During a supermarket run on Sunday afternoon I noticed that the heated seat didnít feel quite as warm as the XC70ís, and the driverís seatback seemed to have less lumbar support. &nbsp;There was no cargo net attached to the fold-up grocery bag holder, and rear seat legroom seemed a bit tighter.

The First 1,500 Miles
Only a few things to add to the above. &nbsp;As expected, I don&#39;t miss Geartronic/Auto-Stick at all. &nbsp;Also as expected, the standard Michelin tires provide less traction on snowy roads than did the XC70ís Scorpions. &nbsp;While the xenon headlamps are fine, they are by no means revelationary. &nbsp;Life without front fog lights has not caused me any discomfort.

The V70 would be quieter than the XC70 if it weren&#39;t for a rattly cargo cover (now I really understand what all the complaints are about). &nbsp;The V70 seems perceptibly quicker than the XC70 and has been getting slightly better gas mileage (21-22 MPG vs. 18-19 MPG in cold weather). &nbsp;The jury is still out on handling and braking, as my driving thus far has largely been confined to commuting.

I adjusted quickly to the lower seat height when entering and exiting and don&#39;t really notice the somewhat lower vantage point when driving. &nbsp;As expected, the reduced ground clearance is a non-issue. &nbsp;I never used the XC70ís roof rack, so its absence on the V70 is of no concern. &nbsp;Finally, and this could make a big difference someday, the V70ís low-fuel warning light is significantly brighter than the XC70ís.

Conclusion
I liked my 2003 XC70 very much and would have been content to keep it. &nbsp;Given that that wasnít an option and the 2004 XC70 would have been about &#036;100 more per month than the 2004 V70 AWD, the V70 AWD was the next best thing. &nbsp;Itís a lot like the XC70 in so many ways that I sometimes forgot I now have a new car.